Accents like pillows, lamps and even a humble dish towel encourage sight lines from room to room, creating a common thread. Choose an object that reflects the dominant color of an adjoining space and integrate it organically. Day found a periwinkle oven mitt and a lake-blue chair with tonal similarity to the living-room walls and placed them in the kitchen and dining room, respectively. The entryway’s red lamp foreshadows the living-room couch, providing a smooth experience for the eye.

Even in Paris, there are plain apartments without much architectural detail. But when New York–based stylist James Leland Day met (and moved into) this one, he found inspiration in saturation. See how a gutsy dominant color in each room creates a happy, cohesive space.

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one color choice leadsto another

Day began with a shade he loved—a bold Dutch blue—in the living room; he paired it with a crimson couch for a harmony of hot and cool. Then he built the rest of his palette room by room. The dark, somber teal in the entryway (opposite) was both an aesthetic and a practical choice. A central point of calm, it serves as a launchpad for the bolder spaces, which branch out in each direction. And with a complementary red pendant lamp, it makes a powerful first impression as you enter. The white ceiling keeps it airy.

While searching for a dining-room color, Day first pondered lavender, then decided to hunt for a shade that would strike a cool-on-cool balance with the adjacent deep-blue living room. He settled on a rich turquoise, inspired by the Paris Métro logo. A mid-century Danish oak table offsets the playful green with smooth, utilitarian lines. For the kitchen, Day took a chance with a robust bubblegum pink; it’s intense enough to mask the potential eyesore of exposed piping and inherently cheery, which makes up for the limited square footage and the lack of natural light. White paint on the cabinets adds crispness.